


A Mermaid's Tale

by Penny32



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2020-07-24 01:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20017681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penny32/pseuds/Penny32
Summary: The Sea and Sky were never at war but never were they truly at peace. A curiosity such as theirs was wholly forbidden, the legends set in stone, the laws ironclad. Still, they had never seen the like of one another before. S/K.





	1. Chapter 1

Author’s Note: This story was inspired by my love of the ocean and copious hours of watching Blue Planet and all sorts of killer whale shows. I hope you like it, adore it, gush about it like fangirls or boys and want to read more; however, if you do not, please let me know why so that I may improve upon my writing. Cheerio, beautiful people!

_The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach. -Henry Beston_

I: 

The sea sang to her the heartbeat of the moon, the crash and sigh of the waves as they surged against the shore so close to her window. High tide erased the pathway to the dormitories of the Western Citadel from view, covering the raised stone walkways with a foot of clear water. The walkways were far enough from the bay that they rested beneath calm waves, high enough over the ocean floor that the unseen tides beneath could not sweep away the Maidens of the Citadel to sea. 

Not that any of them would have minded. They were, after all, the esteemed Maidens of the Western Seas, beholden of the knowledge of the waves and blessed with the light of the Storm God himself. They had been brought to the Citadel so early in childhood they barely remembered their geographical origin; and, thusly, had been raised in the small seaside Villa of the Citadel, lulled to sleep by the sound of the ocean and woken by the cries of its birds. 

Her thoughts wandered, sapphire-shaded blue eyes catching the play of light on the dark waves, even as she tried to force herself to sleep. Yet, she couldn’t. Tomorrow was too big a day for her elder sister and one she almost could not bear to think of. The very thought made her throat tighten. Her eyes closed against the tears and she turned from the window to the interior of the room, facing the empty bed on the far wall. 

Her sister was holding her vigil in the steeple tonight, meditating in the confines of the bell so that her energies drifted with the amplified sound of the waves beneath her feet. She was holding vigil tonight and tomorrow she would leave, having finally finished her training as a Maiden. She would be gifted with the symbol of the Western Citadel, a necklace adorned with a pink pearl- the rarest of oceanic treasures, found only in the deep caves beneath the edge of their bay. Tomorrow, Kikyou would become a Jewel and would take her first assignment inland. 

Kagome sniffled, turning away from the empty bed and back to the sea, a few tears escaping despite her promise not to cry. She had idolized her sister since she had been sent here, beyond happy to have a relative with her in the strange place her parents had sent her to. Kikyou had helped her adjust but they had both been quickly caught up in their studies, theology, geography, cartography until Kikyou had turned 16 and they had realized they only had one year left together. They had grown close, closer than they had ever been as children, in these past few months leading up to Kikyou’s departure, knowing that they were probably never going to see each other again. 

Kikyou had an explorer’s heart and the wandering feet to match. She would not be one of the graduated Jewels who would return time and again to reacquaint herself with the sea from which their light came. Conversely, her younger sister would never be able to part from the sea. 

The moon’s heartbeat was her own, the splash of the waves reminiscent of her laughter, the blue of her eyes as changeable as the color of the ocean. She was the essence of their Order and vastly acknowledged as such. 

It had already been decided that when she turned 16 later that summer, her final year of training would be spent under the guidance of their leader, Kaede. She was to be groomed for the position of Honored Jewel and was to learn the manipulation of water itself instead of just her own light. It was an honor and it was wonderful; but, she would miss her sister. 

Slowly, reluctantly, she fell asleep, lulled into relaxation as the vibrations from a whale’s song crept up through the stone and echoed faintly around her room. In the morning, she would curse her restlessness the night before for her sister would leave her a note of farewell and would be long gone towards the land-locked principalities by sunrise. 

~*~ 

He drifted closer, aware that she was unconscious of his silent perusal of her; but, his curiosity simply could not be sated from far away. After all, she was the first human he had seen in centuries, having been so busy fighting in the Sea King’s wars against his titanic brethren and the traitorous faction of the Court. 

Lazily, he swam closer, ignoring the clacking of his crabby advisor and the spontaneous humming of his red-haired paige. The world tuned out around him as his eyes drifted over the young woman sitting so forlornly by the seaside, dangling small feet into the water. 

Her hair was the shade of a raven’s wings- glossy and blue-black even in the height of the noon sun. Her skin was tanned though smooth and soft from never having worked on land. Her frame was petite and rather curvy, barely hidden from his gaze by the filmy pair of loose leggings and the tight shift around her torso. Around her neck dangled a crescent moon pendant, the symbol of his house. 

His eyebrow rose as he drifted closer still, trying to catch the color of her eyes. She was a Maiden of the Western Citadel, the women who paid tribute to the Sea King for the gift of their light. She was lovely in the way of her kind and had she been born a mermaid, she would have already been betrothed. He knew, though, that humans did things differently. The Maidens chose their own mates. 

Absently stopping his paige before he could prank his advisor, he wondered if this one had chosen her mate yet. Then, abruptly, wondered why the hell he cared. 

“Come,” he spoke coldly, turning away to dive back beneath the waves, nothing more than the glimpse of a pale gold fin to show his presence above water. His two companions followed him swiftly, unaware of the direction of his thoughts. They had noticed the direction of his gaze; but, of all the merfolk who lived beneath the Sea King’s rule, their leader was the last possible person they would associate with the breaking of the law. 

Especially the cardinal rule, the taboo set down by the Sea God himself: to never speak with humans. They were the children of his brother and while the sea and sky were not enemies, neither were they friends. Their children, as a whole, followed their example and never strayed too far from the boundaries of their patron deities. 

There were few exceptions to this convention, the most well-known of which were the Maidens of the Sea. For ages, they had been the only humans allowed to devote their livelihoods to the sea without retribution from the Sky God. 

As he swam further into the black waters of the deep ocean, the merman wondered why. If there was a legend explaining the creation of the Western Citadel, then it was not one most were familiar with. 

His thoughts returned to the beautiful Maiden by the shore, briefly contemplating the uncomfortable notion that he seemed to be more like his father than he had originally believed. 

No. He wasn’t. 

He was simply curious about her and her order. 

There was nothing wrong with a little curiosity. 

~*~


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm nobody, who are you? -Emily Dickinson_

II: 

Kagome waded slowly through the night-dark waters, her lantern held before her to help her see the stone pathway beneath her feet. The first few feet of water were gorgeously illuminated by the near-full moon, the sky clear of any clouds and filled faintly with a breeze scented of the flowers and palm trees that grew along the shore and cascaded over the Villa walls. 

As if to add to her whimsical mood after a full day of study in the library, a purple flower floated by her feet, half-submerged and fighting to stay alive. She toed it deeper towards the skyline, pausing to contemplate her toenails beneath the waves and wondering why she cared about her toenails when her bed was only paces away and up the stairs. 

Something dark swirled by beneath the clear water, washed away quickly beneath her frown. She bent, peering closely and wondered where it was coming from. It looked almost black like oil; but, it wasn’t dark enough for oil. 

Actually, she cocked her head to the side, it looked like blood. Blood. She stood upright and looked around for any sharks that had been drawn to the source. Her hair flared around her slim shoulder blades as she turned to face the open sea, squeaking when she caught sight of the vague outline of a large dorsal fin. 

The fin turned and she sighed in relief when she realized it wasn’t a shark’s fin; but, curved and large and black. A killer whale, then. 

Her blue eyes squinted at the fin, wondering at its slow, lonely progression towards the pathway she was standing on. Orcas traveled in pods and it was very, very rare to find one by itself. She almost screamed when a plume of spray spewed to her right and a large, dark tale fin disappeared near her feet. Another plume of spray came a few feet away followed by a small tap against the pathway beneath her. 

She should have been terrified- anyone, Maidens of the Sea included, would have been terrified to be surrounded by some of the best hunters in the seas; but, she wasn’t. She was utterly enchanted, kneeling down in the water so that she could look the curious baby in the eye when it swam past her, showing her his white underbelly briefly. 

Kagome giggled at his antics even as another nose, this one much, much larger and scarred came near her, the fin gliding over the pathway and almost sending her tumbling into the water they were swimming through. She reached out and touched him, the smooth, rubbery skin feeling strange against her fingertips. Her laughter rang free when another adult came to check her out, calling loudly enough that the sound echoed in the ripples around them. A nose was pushed under her hand, her light flaring briefly in recognition of a sea creature. 

The light started more calling until the water was swirling around her with their movement, all of the small group trying to catch a closer glimpse of her. Using a small bit of her light and chanting a relatively easy spell, the young woman floated the lantern over her shoulder and settled more firmly on the stone. Her eyes flicked over them, appreciative of their beauty and blatant lethality. 

“Do not encourage them. They are already disobeying orders.” The voice near her hip nearly startled her off the pathway, a hand catching her elbow and helping her right herself in the disturbed water. 

Kagome turned to the newcomer, absently noting that the calling had stopped and that the dolphins* had calmed. Her gasp was entirely unconscious as she looked at him for the first time. 

Silver hair, longer than her own, floated around her like streamers of spun metal, illuminated into glowing white by the moon. His cheekbones were high, aristocratic and set above a strong jawline and a firm mouth. His skin was adorned with scarlet tattoos, whips that curled from neck to waistline; and, there, just below his waist was a blue-gold _tail_. It matched the color of the crescent moon on his forehead, the same symbol that she wore around her neck. 

Kagome’s jaw dropped. “Where did you come from?” Then, her eyes flicked over his torso- he was sculpted like a statue and she continued, blithely aware that she looked like a gaping fish out of water, “Are you injured?” 

“No.” He smirked and her heart fluttered at the sight of his amused golden eyes and long, moon-bright lashes, unaware that there was a becoming blush on her heart-shaped face and that she was just as intriguing to him as he was to her. “Their prey has taken refuge behind these walls.” 

Her eyebrow rose as the baby orca nudged her foot beneath the water. She giggled even as he was shooed off by one of his elders. “Their prey?” 

He hummed in the back of his throat, the gleam of his eyes almost enchanting her. Then, he smirked, she was more beautiful up close than she had been from afar. “Me.” 

She blinked, looking away to the sea once more and trying to break off her reaction to him. “You?” 

“I am their leader and this is a training mission.” He lifted himself onto the stone beside her and felt the vibration in the water as her heartbeat sped up. A blush, fair as coral, spread from her cheeks to her neck. He wondered if it went lower. “Surely this world still has armies and wars?” 

She frowned. “Yes. It does. Too many. Why?” 

He cocked his head to the side, lifting his tail fin from the water and watching as she looked at it wide-eyed and awed. He flicked some water at her and was strangely pleased to hear her light laughter. “The sea has its wars as well. It is why warriors train.” 

She mimicked him, her hair falling enchantingly over her shoulder as she absently stroked one of his trainees’ fins. “Are there many merfolk beneath the sea? One hasn’t been seen here for centuries.” 

He turned and slipped into the water around his troops, gesturing sharply and watching as they swam away. He heard the girl’s sigh of disappointment and turned to her. “Tell no one of this meeting, young Maiden. I am not sure why; but, it is forbidden for our two peoples to meet.” 

Wide-eyed once more, she nodded and stood, grasping her lantern and straightening her sodden skirt. When she turned to say farewell, she found him gone and to her fright, she found another fin in the distance- straight and sharp. A shark had been attracted by the blood scent in the water. 

Quickly, she turned and almost ran the last few paces to the Villa, nimbly climbing the steps onto solid ground. As she climbed the steps to her floor, Kagome was glad her sister was gone for the first time, aware that she would not have been able to keep such a secret from her. 

~*~ 

“He WHAT?!” The General turned, golden eyes narrowed with a rage so unusual that his lieutenant almost swam straight out the door. The great white shark watched his leader with glassy eyes as he sought to find the words to explain. 

He had tailed his leader’s son as per his request on the routine training mission the Captain had been assigned and had instead discovered a transgression so large he had almost sunk from the shock. The widely-acknowledge prodigal son had broken their most cardinal law. “I have not told anyone else, my Lord; but, this will get out. The orca can not keep a secret for long.” 

The General’s tail fin slapped against the wall so hard that the cavern shook, glass baubles and sharp weapons shuddering with the force of his anger. “I always knew he was worthless; but, this is beyond what even I can tolerate from that bastard son of mine.” 

The shark stilled as his General turned to him, golden eyes flat with disdain. 

“Kill Sesshoumaru. Erase that useless fool from my lineage.” 

With a few flicks of his tail, the lieutenant was gone. 

~*~


	3. Chapter 3

_We come together_   
_Like drops of water, like astral bodies._   
_We oppose each other_   
_Like magnets, like colors of skin._   
_-Tite Kubo_

III: 

Kagome woke to the cries of ravens beneath her window and she frowned unhappily as she pushed the curling strands of her hair back from her face. She yawned and stretched, mumbling about the loud, uselessness of the birds and hoping that whatever had attracted them would soon be washed out to sea. 

She hissed as her warm feet hit the cool floor before stumbling to her wash basin and splashing herself awake. After dressing herself, she peered curiously out the window at the ravens. It was most interesting that they hadn’t quieted yet… or that no one had shooed them away. 

It was their day of rest today, the day the girls got off to either catch up on studies or wander around the village housed within the confines of the Citadel. It was also a day most of the Maidens and Jewels liked to sleep in. Sango, particularly, would normally have thrown something at the small gathering by now. 

Ah, Kagome grinned. A shoe sailed through the birds, sending them squawking higher. Still, they did not leave and Kagome found her curiosity piqued. 

She walked down the stairs and out the side door to the gardens where they were flying over, smiling down at the small rays snuffling through the sand beneath the path. The undersea anemone and polyps were swaying with a gentle current, the coral hiding small colorful fish and snakes from her shadow. Above her head on trellises and archways designed to harmonize the meeting of land and sea, flowers swayed on vines and small birds chirped from nests hidden by large, green leaves. 

Suddenly, she stiffened, hoping that she hadn’t just seen a wisp of red fade beneath her in the water. She waited, gaze piercing the cerulean blue of the water, feet still so she didn’t cause any ripples beneath the surface. No, she frowned momentarily as she saw another pale wisp dissipate around her toes. She had and she was seized with a sudden panic, remembering the merman and the shark that had appeared after his departure. 

Her pulse thudded in her throat and fear grasped her as she kicked off her sandals and fell gently into the water, her tight clothing allowing for easy swimming. She waited until she saw the wisp once more, trailing it with her eyes until she realized it came from over the wall and thus from the open sea. 

She swam to the wall and peered over the top of the stone pathway, lifting herself over since it was low tide. She almost shrieked when she saw the dorsal fin of a shark bare feet away from her, closing rapidly on something hidden from her view by a collection of rocks a few feet deep. The shark was one of many circling the rocks and the rocks were hiding whatever was bleeding so profusely as to turn the water red. 

A great white caught sight of her and drifted closer, its beady eyes terrifying the young woman even with the barrier of stone between them. Then, its attention was caught by the other sharks as they congregated around something, tearing it to pieces so that blood stained the sea red. 

Kagome closed her eyes and turned from the feeding frenzy, freezing with terror when she felt something clutch her hand over the wall. Her eyes flew open, pupils dilated, mouth open as she tried to pull her hand away. 

It was the merman. 

Her gaze drifted down and she winced before leaning to help him over to her side of the wall, away from the sharks obviously hunting him. His torso was covered in lacerations, most bleeding, some so serrated that strips of his skin were floating in the water around him. His hair was clumped and he looked on the verge of death, skin stretched tightly over the planes of his face, emphasizing the hollows of his cheeks and the circles under his eyes. His hands, sharply clawed, clutched hers as the feeding frenzy began to die down. He opened his mouth and croaked, eyes slitted with exhaustion. 

She understood quickly, bracing him over her and swimming towards a hidden alcove in their garden. There was a submerged ledge there during high and low tide that would be perfect for him to rest on. It was highly shadowed so he wouldn’t dry out from the sun. Occasionally, it was used as a lover’s nook; but, since none of the girls had boyfriends at the moment, it was highly unlikely that he would be discovered there. 

They swam together smoothly, leaving a red trail behind them. Hopefully, the sharks would give up and hunt elsewhere now that they had already fed once. 

Kagome helped him onto the ledge, trying not to think about how smooth his skin felt against hers. She winced once more, blue eyes sympathetic, when she began examining his wounds. Carefully, knowing she hadn’t completely mastered the skill of healing yet, she brought her light to her hands and laid them over the worst of the wounds. A circular set of marks on his upper arm, a bite that was still pouring blood. 

He made a small sound of what appeared to be protest if the draw between his brows was any indication. She blatantly ignored him for favor of her task. 

Sesshoumaru watched the Maiden’s eyes close, still not quite sure why he had come here, to her, for refuge from the attack by his father’s minions. Her lashes fell like soot against the smooth skin of her cheeks and her mouth, temptingly pink, pressed close with concentration. He settled back against the stone of the building, feeling faint from the massive blood loss of his wounds. Vaguely, he wondered if he would survive this; and, if he did, what exactly he was going to do about his father. 

He still wasn’t quite sure what had provoked the attack. He was too much of an asset for his sire to act on their mutual hatred of each other. He was valuable to the Sea King both as a strategist and a warrior. Normally, his father would not negate that political connection- which meant that something had changed their dynamic. 

He would have to figure out what exactly had altered his father’s stance on his existence. 

The Maiden’s light tingled against his skin, on his shoulder, and he sighed in appreciation as his eyes drifted close. The tingling came again near his chest and then again near his tail fluke. 

Then, he knew no more. 

~*~


	4. Chapter 4

_A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring._   
_-Alexander Pope_

IV: 

Kagome adjusted a small sodden pillow beneath his head, having retrieved it moments ago. She had finished healing most of his wounds and had been interested to find that some of them had already begun closing on their own before she had gotten to them. His rate of healing was far quicker than that of a human’s. 

Still, she was glad she had assisted her strange acquaintance. Most of the day had passed in her care of him and it was now late afternoon, the calls of her classmates ringing through the corridors as they returned from their outdoor adventuring. She turned away, planning on coming back to check on him one last time before she went to bed. For now, she was utterly famished and needed to fill her growling stomach with something remotely nutritious. 

Or cheesy potatoes. Cheesy potatoes sounded divine. 

With one last backwards glance, she swam back to the pathway and climbed up before hurrying towards the main building. 

~*~ 

Hair braided from her short foray with Sango to the baths, she sank back into the dusk-dark waters, glancing anxiously towards the Sea Wall far to her right. She didn’t see any shark fins; but, that didn’t mean they weren’t there. A baby ray swam past her, its smooth body wiggling over her arm before it darted over her shoulder and lay along her back as she swam. 

She giggled at its playfulness and held out a scrap of raw fish, wrinkling her nose as it sucked the fish into its mouth. Then, she swam to her hidden companion and promptly squeaked the other food in her hands falling towards the bottom to be set on by other hungry fish. 

She twisted in the water, looking around and conjuring a light to look at the sandy bottom less than a meter down. He was gone! 

And he had taken her pillow. 

Sighing, she turned to look back at the sea so close and so far away, knowing it had been foolish to think he would stay longer than he had to. She fervently hoped that he hadn’t swum back into that group of sharks. Despondently, she trudged back to her room, running absent fingers over the little ray and feeding him the few fish left in her grasp at the base of the stairs. Her hair came loose from the tied ribbon to fall in drying curls around her shoulders, shadowing her face becomingly as she tried to ignore her sadness. 

Really, she scoffed at herself. It was ridiculous to be sad about meeting a creature of legend. At least she had gotten to meet a merman. There was no reason to be upset that he had left. It was actually a good thing. After all, their peoples were apparently forbidden from associating with one another. 

Still, her footsteps were quiet when she reentered the mansion and made her way to her room. A flicker of magic lit her candles as she pushed open the shutters of her window, appreciative of the cool night breeze that blew in. 

Behind her, something shifted and she whirled around, startled. 

To her absolute astonishment, she saw a sheen of liquid silver pooling from her bed onto the floor, a bare foot peeking out from beneath her covers. She tiptoed closer, her mouth gaping, her heart beginning to thunder with adrenaline. 

The merman was in her bed! Bare-chested and drool-worthy, completely unconscious and- shockingly, almost healed. One eye opened and peered at her blearily as he mumbled something, closed. He shifted onto his side and turned over, apparently making room for her. 

Blushing, the dark-haired maiden shifted on the balls of her feet and debated. For a long moment, she just watched him, the sound of the waves washing over the lower portions of the Sea Wall as loud in her ears as his earlier words of caution. Gorgeous and intriguing he may be, but he represented the Sea and at birth she had been designated for the Sky. 

Still, she wondered. The Maidens had been allowed for centuries to give their hearts to the sea. They had been gifted unique talents by the Sea King himself in honor of their homage to the other half of the living world. Surely, she wouldn’t be punished for assisting a creature of the oceans she so adored. 

Kagome debated long before her exhaustion caught up with her and ultimately she shrugged, breaking into an ear-splitting yawn. She wriggled next to him easily, eyes already closing and pulled at the covers. Right before she drifted off, he turned and cast an arm around her waist. She murmured, her whispers falling into the sounds of the wind and ocean. 

~*~


	5. Chapter 5

_Plant me a garden to heal the body,_   
_Betony, yarrow and daisies to mend,_   
_Sage for the blood and comfrey for bones,_   
_Foxglove and hyssop the sick to tend._   
_-Elizabethan Rhyme_

V: 

She rubbed her nose against the soft surface, smiling at the spicy, masculine scent of driftwood and ocean. The sound of the waves was quieter through her window, mixed with the gentle calls of the tropical birds. 

Low tide, she mused, meant that the birds were pecking the shore for the crabs. 

“I’m hungry, young Maiden.” The voice rumbled against her, echoing beneath her fingertips and startling her into sitting straight up in bed. 

She looked at the merman, sprawled across her quilts like he owned them, wide-eyed and gaping. “How did you get up here?” Then, “where did your tail go?” 

He frowned, sitting up beside her, his abdominal muscles contracting in a very distracting manner. “I do not know how I came to have human legs. They are cumbersome.” 

He did not add that the only other merman he had ever known to have human legs was his abomination of a half-brother. 

Kagome cocked her head to the side before noticing the slight scrapes on his hands and chest, all on his right side. “Did you drag yourself up the stairs?” 

“Yes.” He looked at her from beneath his bangs and she couldn’t help but feel the stab of sympathy. He didn’t realize it, she knew; but, he looked utterly lost in that moment- confined to an alien body and confused as to his own circumstances. 

She smiled softly, combing her hair with her fingers, belatedly realizing that she probably didn’t look her best. “Well, legs aren’t so hard to get used to. I’ll teach you to walk easily.” 

He shook his head. “I do not need to walk. I need to swim.” 

She laughed, climbing out of bed and adjusting her clothes quickly, blushing as the sound of his deep voice brought heat to her veins. “Of course! You can learn to walk and swim!” 

“No, Maiden. You do not understand.” He gestured sharply, irritated. “I have information to get to the Sea King. There is an assassination plot against his house that he must know of!” 

She stopped, turning to him with wide, dark-blue eyes and he couldn’t help but notice her beauty once more. “Oh.” 

He flipped the covers off himself, disgusted at being distracted by her beauty during such a moment. He looked up when she squeaked, caught sight of her crimson cheeks as she turned away from him. 

“You don’t have any clothes on!” Her voice was muffled though the heat in her scent was not and he took a deep, appreciative sniff. She smelled like anemone and mangrove oranges, a combination of the sea and the earth. 

“No, I do not. Am I supposed to?” He looked at her curiously, trying to make her turn around once more even though he knew the answer to his question. The merfolk hid _that_ part of themselves beneath the cover of their scales, the humans beneath clothes. Smirking, he lounged back against the pillows, lifting one leg with difficulty and leaning his arm against it, wondering how she hadn’t noticed while they were sleeping. 

To his amusement, she did turn around and promptly gasped again, small hands rising to cover her mouth. To her credit, she merely swallowed and lifted her eyes from where they had dropped. “Yes, you are supposed to have clothes; but, it stands to reason that you do not considering the circumstances of your arrival. I’ll bring you some back along with some food.” 

She turned quickly and fled out the door. “I’ll return in a few moments,” fading back to him. 

Unable to help it, he laughed. She was an innocent one, to be sure and he was going to enjoy what little time he had with her. After all, that reaction was just too delightful. He paused a moment before wrapping a thin sheet around his waist and knotting it so it wouldn't fall. The Maiden was charming when flustered but he did need her functioning. Now, he huffed, moving stray bangs from his eyes, he had to try and stand on these… _things_ humans used. 

Slowly, he shifted his legs, finding that he could move them without using his arms if he just concentrated. It was very similar to having a tail and he suspected the only thing holding him back from moving around easily was over-thinking. Still, he would start slow and then worry about speed. He moved until his feet were flat on the floor, grasping the column of the headboard in one hand and placing the other hand flat on the bed. He cracked his neck and then lifted, slowly letting his legs take the weight of his torso. 

His knees abruptly buckled and he fell back onto the bed with a growl, gasping at the pain that had shot up his legs. He lay there, staring at the stone ceiling for a long moment, listening to the calls of the birds and the sounds of the sea. Then, he lifted up again and settled his feet and his hands. Taking a deep breath, he exerted pressure and winced as the pain shot up his legs once more. 

No, his eyes opened, glinting. He was _going_ to stand up. He leaned forward, clenching his jaw and put more pressure on his feet, straightening his knees despite the pain and then he saw white, gasping. When he blinked his eyes open, he realized he had fallen to the floor, his cheek was pressed against the red rug, his body curled in on itself. 

A pair of soft hands was patting his cheek gently. “Mr. Merman, come on. Wake up, please. I just healed you. Don’t pass out on me again.” 

He chuckled at her words, his bruised pride negligent in the face of her personality. He was beyond displeased to have failed so colossally at merely standing let alone walking, but at least this pretty Maiden was taking care of him. “I’m up. My name is Sesshoumaru, Commander of the Ninth Legion in the Sea King’s armies.” 

She blinked and he realized she was lying next to him so that she could look at his face. “My name is Kagome, Maiden of the Western Citadel.” She smiled. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Commander Sesshoumaru.” 

“And you, Maiden Kagome.” He shook his head and lifted himself up so that he was sitting on the floor. He noticed her blush and her gaze on his chest, flexing just a touch more. “Am I distracting you, Maiden?” 

Her blush spread down her neck and she lifted shocked embarrassed eyes to his, having been caught at staring. “Perhaps you’d like some help in getting up, Commander?” 

He grinned. “Shouldn’t I put some _clothes_ on first?” 

Her answer surprised him, her eyes twinkling with answering mischief when she realized he was playing with her. “Only if you wish, Commander. You have made the practice seem a little prudish, to be honest.” 

Not to be outdone, he reached for her hands. “Then I beseech your assistance, Maiden. Help me to my feet, please.” 

Scarlet now as his desire for her was beginning to show, Kagome knelt next to him, placing her shoulder beneath his and rising with him slowly. He used the bed post and Kagome’s weight; but, finally, he made it to his feet, grinding his teeth against the pain. 

“Shuffle forward, Sesshoumaru. Right foot, come on,” she encouraged, pushing him despite the paleness of his features. “Sit in the chair for a little while so the blood flow gets to your feet. Left, good.” 

He hissed, his knees buckling, caught the dresser before he fell and made his way back up, his eyes turning red as was the wont of his people during times of distress. Unperturbed, she kept coaching him the few feet to her desk chair, completely ignorant of his physical beauty in the light of his pain. Slowly, they made their way to the chair where he fell into it, gasping and shaking. 

To her amusement, he murmured something which sounded suspiciously like, “walking sucks.” 

She giggled before placing the tray of food in front of him, suddenly nervous. “I wasn’t sure of what you would like so I brought mainly fish. This though,” she gestured to a red fruit, “is an apple, my favorite, if you would like to try it.” 

He nodded, tired and reticent from his recent exertion. Despite her calming and pleasant presence, he could not help but feel acutely vulnerable, a feeling he was entirely unused to. He was a warrior, born and bred from the cradle to protect, defend and kill. He had never suffered an injury so severely that his very ability to move had been hampered, and now without the help of a young human girl, he would have been killed by the third-rate thugs his father used as assassins. Still, he smiled at her, with her assistance, he would be back in the water soon. 

Once the Sea King found out about the nobles’ shenanigans, the plot against the royal family, Sesshoumaru knew he would give him back his tail and his life. It was only a matter of time. He could only hope he wasn’t too late. 

His thoughts grew dark again as Kagome started talking about her studies to fill the silence. He cut her off, rudely. “I need to get back into the water, Kagome.” 

She looked at him for a long moment, fiddling with an apple slice as Sango called a joke up the stairs. “If we can make it down the stairs, I can teach you to swim with two legs.” 

He nodded and swallowed his pride before this young woman. “If you have nothing to do today, I would like for you to assist me in learning to walk.” 

She smiled. “I was already planning on it. I’m a senior and I’ve finished with my classes. I only have my thesis left so I can help you for as long as you need it.” 

Sesshoumaru nodded, a strange feeling entering his chest when her eyes sparkled in the light of the afternoon sun. He tentatively bit into one of the apple slices, eyes widening at the flavor. “This is good.” 

~*~


	6. Chapter 6

_You are the music while the music lasts. –T.S. Eliot_

VI: 

Kagome stepped back, breathing harshly after helping him back onto the bed. She let out a small, breathless laugh when he flopped back and covered his eyes with his forearm, his markings blazoning indigo in the light of the rising moon. Really, she mused. She was beyond privileged to have met such a creature of myth and legend, especially one so incredibly good looking and loyal to his liege. He was ethereal as he lay there, his skin pearlescent and the faint glow of power sifting the strands of his hair like underwater currents. 

"I hate this," he muttered into the evening air, breathing deeply the scent of the flowers outside her window, the scent of her in the sheets and the scent of the sea so close and yet so far from him. His senses had altered somewhat since being on land. His nose was almost as sensitive as it was under the water but not quite as much and his hearing was exponentially better. He had found that sound traveled farther in the water but it could be better pinpointed in the air. 

He felt her warmth as she settled next to him, close but not touching. "You'll get better at it. It takes most of us years to learn what you are trying to do in just a few days, Commander." 

Her playful use of his title made him smile. For some reason the fact that she had begun to use it as a sort of pet name was immensely pleasing. He could not help but respond in kind. "If that is what my Maiden says, then it must be true." 

Her smile faded a little, still able to hear his frustration deep in the unconscious rumble of his voice. He needed a distraction and she pondered for a moment, trying to remember what had originally drawn him away from the thoughts of his recent, strange transformation from merman to man. "Tell me more of what life under the sea is like, please.” 

He peered up at her, moving his right arm behind her and lifting the left so that his head rested on his palm. The silver-haired merman smirked when he realized her eyes kept drifting down to his stomach where the sheet had accidentally drifted down because of his movements. 

He shifted some more, tightening his muscles and watched for the tell-tale blush to rise in her cheeks. 

Instead, he found that her eyes darkened, glazing over with an emotion dangerously close to desire, distracting him from his teasing. He swallowed hard before turning his eyes to the ceiling. 

Pretty Maidens of the Sea were off-limits. He wasn't supposed to be talking with her let alone sleeping in her bed and enjoying her company. To distract himself from the memory of having her pressed against him, he answered her question. 

"Life beneath the sea," he began, "is vast. There is more water than land. There are more creatures beneath the sea than there are in the air and while that makes life interesting, there are too few of us to truly fill up the space of Poseidon's kingdom." Her eyes were very wide and very blue when he looked her way again, as innocent as a child's eyes and filled with wonder. "The merfolk are the main powers of the sea beneath the Sea King and his Court. They assist in the regulation of the different populations beneath the surface. Some, like the seal-folk often take turns walking on land to join the seals. A long time ago, humans met them- they are probably legend now, like all the merfolk." 

Kagome nodded and turned to face him, sitting with her legs crossed and fixing him with a curious stare. "They were called the seelie by the humans. They had skins which they took on and off to go and swim in the sea." 

"Were they? I do not know their stories very well. My lineage is more predatory. My people are inherently feared by the seal-folk." He slanted a mischievous look her way, his golden eyes framed by shadowed silver hair, the light of the candles and the rising moon casting his features into sharp relief. Her heart stopped for a beat and she barely kept her hands from rising to her chest in reaction. "I will give you three guesses as to the seafolk my lineage was bequeathed." 

She grinned at his playfulness, glad she had distracted him from his moping. "What is my reward if I guess right?" 

He smirked and leaned up on his elbows, shifting just a touch closer to her, his hair falling across his shoulder like a sheath of spun silver. "A lack of punishment, fair Maiden." 

Kagome felt something rise up in her at his implied challenge- something naughty, an imp that demanded she push back. Her eyes caught the light of the faint moon and lit up with a most intriguing fire. "What exactly is the punishment?" 

"Do you want to find out?" He sat up, his gaze never leaving hers. He smirked, delighting in her curious response and wanting to know how far she would take their game. 

She blushed, wanting to move back and give herself some breathing space, wanting to move closer and let their breaths mingle. Caught between the tide of desires, she remained motionless, her eyes transfixed by his own. The imp whispered for her to go closer, to dare him. Her common sense told her to stop the game, tried to get her to remember that this was forbidden. Her words when they came out were a bare whisper. "Killer whales." 

"The Maiden is truly sharp. Killer whales," he agreed. He leaned back, just barely, amused when she took a deep breath of relief. 

She laughed, the sound breathy, her heart racing. "It seems I've escaped punishment." 

"Yes." He feigned disappointment, lying back down and shifting his sore legs just a touch so that they lay straighter on the bed. 

He caught the shift in her as she adjusted herself on the bed, lying next to him and moving the pillows so that her neck wasn't twisted at an odd angle. "You sound upset. Did you _want_ to punish me, _Commander_?" 

She added just a touch of sensuality to his pet name and he shivered with the heat it engendered in his veins. 

Sweet seas, if she had been a mermaid he would have claimed her in a heartbeat. Even with the knowledge that it would never amount to anything, he couldn't help but respond to her gentle teasing. He turned, hovering over her with the strength of his shoulders, making that flash of desire turn her lovely eyes darker, that beautiful mouth part on a breath. "Do you want me to answer that question, _Maiden_?" 

Yes. He could see the answer in her eyes, feel it in the way she was unconsciously leaning into him. Her mouth moved but the words were lost when someone knocked on the door. 

She jumped away, her cheeks scarlet and the moment was lost. He was torn between cursing and being relieved at the interruption. 

"Kagome! We're going to the town the day after tomorrow! Are you going to come?" Sango's voice filtered through the door. 

She eyed the merman lying nonchalantly back on her pillows. He wouldn't be ready to go for another two days, at least. "Do you want to see the town, Commander?" 

He blinked at her. "It would be interesting, I think; but, if I can walk, I must go back." 

"No, Sango!" She called. "I'm in the middle of something, Sango. I'll see you at breakfast, alright?" 

"Aw, fine. Alright! Good night, Kagome!" The sound of her footsteps faded away. Kagome rose with a small smile for him, yawning. 

Sesshoumaru waited as she went into her small bathing room to change into her night clothes. He rearranged the bed clothes so that he could keep the sheet around his waist. Mischievously, he kept his torso bare, knowing he could blame it on the warmth if she protested. She may be innocent but even she wouldn't be able to ignore his coloring against the dark bedclothes. 

He heard her come back into the room and stop. Despite his amusement, he closed his eyes, giving her the illusion of his obliviousness to her gasp. He barely refrained from chuckling at the soft "sweet seas have mercy." 

To his surprise, he felt something soft hit his face- a pillow. 

When he peered at her behind the pillow top, she had her arms crossed and was frowning. "No more teasing!" Her finger shook in the air. He laughed, full-bellied and charming at her flustered embarrassment to his teasing. He put the pillow away and held out a clawed hand, beckoning the young woman. "Come here, Maiden." 

"Do you promise to behave, Sesshoumaru?" She was watching him like one would a dangerous animal, not moving from her safe spot by the bathroom door. This game was getting too close for her comfort. 

Heat filled his eyes at her words, at the sound of his name from her. He was enchanted momentarily by her blush. "For the time being, Kagome." 

"Not forever?" She laughed at that, unable to stay cautious around him and too tired to try. It had been a long day. 

"Never." He curled an arm around her, bringing her against his chest easily. She yawned against his skin and he frowned when something in him loosened at the intimacy he was sharing with her. Too close. This was too close. It was becoming dangerous, their play. He needed to get back in the water. "Tomorrow, I think we can try walking farther." 

She hummed and rested her hands against him, murmuring something half-asleep, an indecipherable response. 

He tried to keep his worry with him, to hold onto the sense of danger and propriety but the warmth of their shared heat, the sound and scent of the ocean and the flowers outside her window lulled his anxiety. Moments later, the exhausted male was asleep, the day’s exertions catching up with him. 

~*~


	7. Chapter 7

_The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to._   
_-Carl Sandburg_

VII: 

Kagome was whistling as she walked down the stairs, proud of her unorthodox pupil. He made it all the way around the room twice! Sure, he was still wobbly but he could get up and kneel and sit and walk on his own now. He had only fallen once after his first fall and… she blushed, unknowingly making Sango blink and peer at her curiously. 

Lords, she thought. The feel of him on top of her had been simply amazing- he was all muscle and sinew, hard, wiry strength brought on from years of training and she had hardly been able to breathe when he’d smirked at her. She knew that he had only done it to get a rise out of her and she had risen to the challenge he presented quite well until that moment. She rolled her eyes. He’d been doing things like that all day- like accidentally stepping out of his pants just to turn her skin scarlet. 

“Kagome,” Sango began conversationally, turning with her friend into the line for food, “Has something happened?” 

Her blue-eyed friend shook her head and realized she needed a good excuse or her friend was going to sniff out her secret. She wasn’t quite sure what the consequences of aiding a merman would be but she didn’t want to find out unless necessary. “No. Just reading a really good novel.” 

Sango rolled her eyes. “Oh. I was hoping you’d found yourself a boyfriend.” 

Kagome laughed. “Me? You know I’m the one who’s going to end up tottering around this old castle and feeding all the cats till they’re fat and round!” 

“Oh, Kagome,” Sango shook her head, “Don’t you want to experience love? Miroku has a really cute younger brother I could introduce you to.” 

The black-haired young Maiden shook her head as she took more fish and a few apples, ignoring her friend’s look of surprise at her tray. “Study night. Snacks for later. Besides, I don’t really want to date a member of that pervert’s family. No offense.” 

“None taken. He is overly amorous.” Sango waved her goodbye as Kagome turned towards the doors, well aware that her studious friend would barely be seen for a few days. For Kagome, the words “study night” usually meant study week and only Kikyou had ever been able to find Kagome during those days. 

Sighing in relief now that she had an alibi for her absence these next few days, Kagome quickly made her way back up the stairs with the food. She entered the room only to find it empty. Closing her door, she called out softly, heart rate increasing as she thought of her new friend being found out, “Sesshoumaru?” 

His head poked through the window. “I’ve found the perfect seat out here. Come. There is enough room for you and the food.” 

Kagome laughed, taking her outer robe off and handing him the tray through the window before climbing onto the wide ledge and up onto the under-eave of the castle. Hibiscus vines and pockets of the climbing roses that were cultivated all over the grounds had created a small nook over the ledge they were seated on, draping over the balcony they were beneath and swaying prettily in the breeze. “You’ve found my study spot. This is where I go when I don’t want anyone to bother me.” 

“It is a beautiful spot. My own studies were conducted in the Study Hall of the Sea King’s library. It was rather dreary.” He smiled at her as he shifted his feet into the crossed style she seemed to favor. She mimed him on the other side before handing him a plate and beginning to put food on her own. 

She chewed thoughtfully and swallowed before answering. “I would give much to know the undersea world as you do, Commander. The sea has always been amazing to me.” 

Sesshoumaru smiled, his gaze far away on the sun over the water, just beginning to set. He turned to her once more, inwardly wondering at how easy it was for him to speak with this beautiful human. He had never been so communicative with women, not even his own family. “It is a wondrous place, Maiden… far more interesting than the land ever was.” 

Kagome blinked curiously. “You say that last statement with some authority.” 

His smile disappeared and he chewed slowly, fixing her with a piercing look that had her waiting patiently. Apparently finding whatever answer he had sought from her demeanor, he began to relay to her a story. “Seventy years ago, my father and I were sent by the Sea King to parlay with a local lord on the edge of the eastern seas. The lord’s castle was on the edge of the ocean and so an ideal place for merfolk and men to discuss matters of political importance. At the time, the meeting was sanctioned as it was due to an uprising by a mutual enemy of both Sea and Sky. My father,” his tone turned rather disgusted at the mention of his sire, she noted, “ruined the talks by grievous insult to the local lord.” He paused and looked at her. “He slept with the local lord’s daughter, the young and impressionable Lady Izayoi. The talks were ruined and the armies of men littered the sea with arrows, killing many of my brethren and breaking off any ties with the people of the Sea. Months later, a babe was found on the sea shore- my bastard half-brother who can only live beneath the waves but who is bound to human form, Inuyasha.” 

Kagome remained silent, digesting the story as he continued to eat. “So what did the Sea King do to your father? That was probably a big deal, right?” 

Sesshoumaru smirked. “He promoted me to my father’s place, knowing what little love that man has for me.” 

“It seems odd that your father could not love you.” 

The silver-haired man laughed, the sound hollow. “I was gifted to my father by my mother, a princess in the Sea King’s palace and one of his former lovers. It is considered an honor by my people as the lineage of the Sea King is held sacred beneath the sea; however, my father grew jealous of my martial skill as I grew older. Indeed, he employed only nannies to care for me as he did for Inuyasha. As such there is no bond between him and his children.” 

When he looked back at her, he could see the sadness in her eyes and he frowned. 

“Does your mother love you?” She looked down when she asked, her heart hurting for the little boy who she imagined had grown up with no one to care for him. Even if she hadn’t known her parents, her teachers and friends here were her family and loved her as such. She couldn’t imagine being so lonely a life as her new friend was describing. 

“Yes,” he answered simply, easily reading her sympathy for his past and touched that she was so upset for him. 

A smile lit her face at his answer and he smiled reflexively back. “Good.” 

“Yes.” Then, to turn the topic to something lighter, he asked, “What are you studying?” 

Kagome grinned. “Never ask a scholar their topic of study. We’ll talk for hours!” 

He settled back, full. “I’ve got time, Maiden. Tell me.” 

~*~


	8. Chapter 8

_Love is a lot like dancing, you just surrender to the music._   
_-Pierce Brosnan_

VIII: 

Kagome flourished the successes of her thievery proudly before her pupil. "I found you nicer clothes!" 

His eyebrow rose skeptically as he caught hold of the dark material. He had never seen the like before. "This is the color of darkness." 

She nodded, a faint blush adorning the bridge of her nose as she imagined what he would look like in Miroku's pilfered casual wear. It was nothing more than a linen shirt and pants with matching riding boots but with Sesshoumaru's exotic coloring, even the simplest things would look fantastic. 

He leaned down towards her, the sun lighting up his eyes like shards of amber, the corner of his mouth quirked up in an outward display of his sudden proclivity for wicked teasing. His voice was soft when he asked, "Why do you want to clothe me in darkness, Kagome?" 

For a moment her eyes widened comically, the blush spread like a fair bloom to her cheeks and his ego swelled. Then she stepped closer, her mouth closing, a strange emotion entering the depths of her oceanic eyes. 

He paused, the scent of her beginning to fill his head. 

"You are already clothed in darkness, Commander. I am merely facilitating your acknowledgment of such." A smirk, strangely reminiscent of his own, turned up the corner of her mouth. 

His gaze was drawn to the naughty curve, fascinated. 

Her giggle snapped his gaze back to her eyes, now lit with mirth. It was his turn to step closer, crowd her with the breadth of his shoulders and the length of his frame. He stared down at her from his height, holding her undivided attention and delighting in the catch of her breath. "If I refuse to acknowledge that which is your conjecture?" 

She chuckled, stepping back and pushing her hair over her shoulder flippantly. "Then of course you may choose the clothing you desire- from my personal collection, as I have little else to offer in the way of male clothing." 

His eyes widened at her audacity. 

Her chuckle turned into an outright laugh as she continued teasing, pleased that she had finally gained the upper hand. "I have all sorts of colors, I promise. Even a nobleman of the sea, like yourself will find something to suit your personality." Without thinking, he pushed her against the wall, caging her in with his arms, bending until he was peering into her eyes. Male pride would not let her win and so he made his voice husky, dropped it an octave. He played dirty. "Will I, _Maiden_?" 

He saw her mouth close, saw her neck move as she swallowed. Her eyes dilated and his eyelids drooped as the scent of her took on a certain, distracting musk. She whispered back, her hands clutching the half-forgotten stolen clothing between them like a lifeline. "That is entirely up to you, _Commander_." 

Smiling, he took the clothes from her hands and stepped back, feeling the satisfaction of victory when she stayed against the wall. Without saying another word, he slipped into her bathing room, moving more smoothly now than he was the other day. He had discovered that the less he thought about the movement, the easier it became- very much like swimming. 

When he emerged, he found that the girl had changed as well. 

Her garments were simple and elegant for humans-from what he had seen of them anyway, the jewel at her throat reminiscent of her eyes in both color and vivacity. He allowed himself a moment to drink in her beauty- pale skin, dark hair and gemstone eyes were rare beneath the sea and he was quickly beginning to find himself ensnared. 

She turned to him and he snapped himself to attention quickly. To his further satisfaction, her own eyes widened when they caught sight of him, drifting over his form with obvious appreciation. To his surprise, she smiled at him easily, mischief in her gaze. "You do the garments justice, Sesshoumaru." 

He blinked and found himself admiring her tact. She had rolled a compliment and an insult together in one sentence. To his further surprise, he did not retaliate in kind. "Your garments do you justice, Kagome." 

Her smile this time was shyer, the quick glance downwards sweet and endearing. It made him wonder if she had ever been complimented before. On the heels of that thought, he found the primal core of his nature hoping that he was the first male to do so for her. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru." 

She gestured towards the door and came to stand beside him, taking his hand in hers. "Shall we head to the stairs? Everyone else but the other senior girls will be in classes and most of them have decided to spend the day outside practicing their spellwork. We should be able to work for a few hours before coming back." 

He nodded, determination focusing his thoughts. "Lead the way." 

~*~


	9. Chapter 9

_The Greeks believed… that all souls were one. Then the souls were torn apart, male and female. The Greeks thought that when you found the other half of your soul, your soul mate, that it would be your perfect lover.  
-Laurell K. Hamilton_

IX: 

Sesshoumaru woke to the scent of oranges and anemone, groaning as the light of the sun hit his eyes. “The sun is too bright,” he mumbled into the soft cloud of hair against his face and was vaguely pleased at the giggle that came from the woman pressed against him. He hadn’t known how nice it was to cuddle until he had joined Kagome in her bed. At first he had done it to tease her but now, he was simply enjoying the feel of her against him- she was small, delicate where he was strong and something about the contrast of their natures was incredibly attractive. 

“It is bright because we have slept well past noon, Commander.” Her voice was muffled, pressed against his skin as she was. 

He yawned and tightened his grip on her when she started to move. With a wave of his hand, the curtain closed over the open window, flaring gently in the breeze but keeping the sun from their eyes. “There, now we will sleep more.” 

She wriggled against him, her hips pressing against a part of him that was already interested in her. “If we keep sleeping we’ll stay awake all night.” 

He hummed, smirking when she melted against him at the sound, one of his hands rubbing lazy circles on her back. “We have less of a chance of getting caught at night.” 

To his amusement, she yawned against his neck, curling into him in a rather pleasant way. “You are unbelievably easy to succumb to, you know?” 

“I know.” Her foot tickled his calf. “Sleep, Maiden.” 

“Night, Sh’maru.” 

~*~ 

They were eating toasted bread and flavored cheese as they made their way stealthily down to the nook Kagome had left him in. Sesshoumaru paused at the bottom step, eyeing the water lapping against the stone, wondering how it would feel against his new skin as Kagome waded along, ankle deep in. With a deep breath, he took a step in and instantly relaxed, all of his tension disappearing as he felt the sea’s music in his bones once more. 

“It’s cold,” he murmured, wishing he had his tail so he could simply swim and bask in the music of the sea. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed his home until he had felt it once more. To his surprise, Kagome was just as relaxed as he was in front of him, a carefree look in her eyes that he hadn’t noticed was absent during their land-locked days. “You really do love the sea, don’t you?” 

She smiled. “I do, indeed.” 

He cocked his head to the side, thinking and then shook the thought away for another time. “Shall we?” He gestured to the water. 

She nodded but pointed further towards the shore. “We’ll go to the inner wall- it’s more protected there.” 

Sobering, he nodded. He had no idea how many of his father’s thugs had remained to sniff him out- or if they had bought his ploy and thought they had eaten him instead of one of their own. He followed her on an intriguing criss-cross of stone paths that sectioned the sea into small pools rife with coral and sea life. He could see that they were the perfect training grounds and wondered how he could incorporate such planning into his own training center. 

In front of him, Kagome slipped into the waist high water, her toes sinking into the soft sand beneath them. “I’ll teach you to kick before we go to deeper water.” 

He nodded, remembering how difficult it had been for him to learn to walk. Silently, he followed her lead and started moving his body like hers, concentrating completely on the task she assigned. When it came time to learn how to breathe, she stepped close, peering at his neck. 

“You still have your stripes there- which may mean that you can still breathe underwater. Those are your gills, right?” She squeaked when he abruptly grabbed her close, their sodden clothing leaving nothing to the imagination beneath the full moon. Her hands felt warm against his chest, her eyes were wide and luminous as deep and as blue as the sea. “Sesshoumaru?” 

Without thinking he bent down and caressed her mouth with his, softly kissing her, drawing her close. Her hands clenched in his shirt, her head angled and she responded easily, naturally, rubbing her mouth up so that his lips created the most delicious friction. 

He lifted his head after a moment, watching, enchanted as her gemstone eyes fluttered open, lit by moonlight and wonder. He pressed another kiss to her mouth, pleased when her eyes closed. “We shouldn’t do this, Kagome. It is forbidden.” 

Her eyes opened once more, searching his. He saw the resigned, sad look come over her countenance and restrained himself from kissing her again. He shouldn’t have started the game to begin with, having known he was playing with lightening where she was concerned. Her voice was husky, alluring when she replied. “You should see if you can still use your gills now.” 

Closing his eyes, he nodded, contained his upset and stepped back before immersing himself in the water. Beneath the waves, he watched her turn away and curl in on herself for a moment, shoulders hunching. Her hand reached up to wipe away what he knew were tears before she turned back around clear-eyed and stoic. She peered down at him, all business and he frowned, wanting the other side of her back and knowing that he couldn’t break the law. 

Even if, for the first time in his life, he wanted to. 

Sighing, he concentrated on taking water in through his gills, kicking away from his tutor. He could breathe underwater. Moments later he laughed beneath the waves. He would be able to take his message to the King! He surfaced, feet from Kagome. “I can breathe underwater. I must leave, Maiden. The King needs to know about the assassination attempts.” 

Kagome’s eyes widened. “Already? But what about the sharks? What if they’re still there?” 

He frowned thoughtfully. “I’ll call some of my troops. They’ll have tracked me near here already and should be here within the hour.” He turned from her and closed his eyes, a sharp pulse resonating outwards from him and towards the open sea. 

Kagome gaped at the display of power and Sesshoumaru swam closer to her easily, his body quickly growing used to the lack of his tail. He stood close to her, leaning down cheekily. “Come now, Maiden. Surely you’ve seen power before?” 

She frowned at him, stepping away from him as the calls of the dolphins began to resonate far away. Her arms lifted to hug herself and her next words carried a double meaning. “I have, Commander; but, unlike you, the experience is not quite so commonplace to me.” 

He stepped closer, his hand grasping her waist when she tried to move away once more, his other hand tilting her chin up so that she was forced to lift her eyes to his. She saw his sadness, his frustration, felt the mirror of his emotions in her own chest. “The experience has been singularly unique, _Kagome_.” 

His thumb traced the bottom curve of her lip, he leaned closer, wanting. “If you had been a mermaid, I would have fought every merman for you; but, so long as you belong to the Sky, I can not have you and I will wish forever that our circumstance was different.” 

Tears glimmered in her eyes, the first spray of his troops breaching reaching their ears. Her mouth parted but she found that she had nothing to say. She wanted to promise him something- herself, her heart, and knew it was foolish. Instead, she reached up and kissed him, hesitant but sweet, a soft kiss that was released on his groan. “Be safe, Commander.” 

With one last, long look back at the Maiden standing in the sea beneath the moon, he turned and swam out to his troops, disappearing beneath the waves until only the calm surface remained. 

Left alone, Kagome swam to the small nook she had first taken him to and cried, broken hearted from her first, brief glimpse of love and the potential for exquisite happiness. 

~*~


	10. Chapter 10

_Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.  
-Lao Tzu_

X: 

Sesshoumaru groaned when he woke, his shoulder aching from the wound he had received fighting off the tentacled jellyfish-swordfish- _thing_ the Titans had sent to kill the Sea King’s family. He had arrived in the nick of time, just barely managing to rush the Guard and get the majority of the family to the safety of the volcano vents. Unfortunately, one of the youngest of the Sea King’s daughters and one of his favorite companions, Rin, had been playing outside with his squire and hadn’t heard the alarm. He had born the brunt of the attack sent her way but she had managed to get a few scratches on her from stray debris. Somehow, in the turmoil of energy, his tail had reformed and he couldn’t have been more pleased, guessing it had something to do with an imbalance of his energy, rectified by his actions. His squire had swum her to safety while he had turned to face the _thing_ , ignoring her cries for him to be careful. 

She was sweet, really; but, he was one of her father’s best warriors. Careful wasn’t something he was going to be. Still, he looked forward to her visit today. He knew she would bring some anemone. His squire and advisor would hopefully be bringing him other news- of Court and the Sea King’s mood. He had a request to make and while he knew it was mostly futile, he had to try. 

He didn’t want to be tortured for eternity but he suspected he would go insane if he let his desire slip through his fingers for the sake of protocol. He had thought of little but Kagome since leaving her, even when he had been in the middle of the reports after the battle haze had cleared his mind. She was beautiful and strong and she loved the sea as if her heart beat with its song. He found himself wishing she was a mermaid almost every second he thought of her. 

He found himself trying to figure out what she would think of life at Atlantis, the Capitol City of the Sea King’s realm. Would she like angler fish or squid? What would she think of the architecture? Of the cliffs and sea vents; the tube worm and crystal gardens with their jellyfish light shows? It took the silver-haired warrior very little time to realize that he was completely infatuated with the human. It took him even less to realize that it would take some skillful maneuvering and an immense amount of luck to even contemplate the possibility of her joining him beneath the sea. 

In the three days it took him to fully heal, he gathered his courage to approach the Sea King. He wanted a gift, a wish, from his King but such things never came cheap and he knew that even if he was listened to and not thrown in jail, his request had almost no chance of being granted. He drifted in the silken blankets of his netting, playing with the light globes around his bedroom and unsuccessfully trying not to think about the Maiden he was going to have to give up soon. 

“Commander Sesshoumaru!” Shippou’s voice roused him from his wallowing. He crooked a finger at the little red-haired merboy, shaking his head when he twirled up past the lantern globes in a stream of theatrical bubbles. He held out a ribboned seaweed scroll. “You are being given an award for your heroic actions in saving the Sea King’s family! There’s even a rumor going around that the Sea King is going to give you a wish for your service!” 

Sesshoumaru blinked. Well, that was convenient… the King could not possibly know of the Maiden saving him. He had purposefully left it out of the reports to keep them both safe from retribution. “Thank you for the news, Shippou. Have you seen my father anywhere?" Shippou frowned as Sesshoumaru opened the invitation to the award ceremony. He smiled to see it was in Rin’s hand. “No, but some of his minions were harassing the princes at training the other day.” 

Sesshoumaru shook his head, wondering why his father didn't control his troops better. The sharks were among the most vicious of the undersea warriors- they, if any, needed a firmer hand when away from the battlefields. "When is the award ceremony and when am I expected to show up?" 

Shippou looked at him, at how tangled his arms and tail was in the netting, not understanding why his master was being so uncharacteristically lazy. "Tonight. You need to be there early, as always. You will be dining with the King and his family before the ceremony and ball. Ambassador Tok will be there with his wife." 

Sesshoumaru mentally sighed at having to deal with the ambassador- his wife was unfortunately infatuated with him and Inuyasha. The ambassador was also, rather unfortunately, incredibly jealous of his wife giving attention to anyone but himself. It was going to be a long evening. 

Huffing, he went about untangling himself, silently grateful his little squire started helping him untangle the blankets knotted in the netting. The cushion that normally provided the bedding was on the floor and he wondered how it had gotten there. Within moments, he was free and swimming towards the scrubs so that he could rub off any grime on himself or his scales. 

"Should I polish the war armor or the dress armor?" Shippou handed him the sea sponge and set to braiding his master's hair in a more elaborate style than usual for the Court. The silver-haired merman rubbed himself down quickly and thoroughly, making sure he was gleaming. His scales shone, his claws were sharpened. 

"Dress armor. I need to see my father before I get dressed, Shippou. It should be prepared when I return." He spared Shippou a glance as he handed the sponge back, pausing momentarily to ruffle the boy's unkempt locks in his characteristic show of affection. He ignored the bright smile. "I will be leaving again in a few days. I would like you to prepare a larger bed-net for me. You may get some sweet clam when you are out." 

Shippou blinked as his master swam out the large room. Why would he need a larger bed-net? It was already huge! 

Grumbling, he went to go find Jaken so he could get money for a larger cushion. 

~*~ 

Ignoring the circling collection of tiger and mako sharks above his father's office, he swam down towards the opening on the outside of the military headquarters in the Capitol City. The Romanesque architecture was from an ancient time when the King had ruled over humans along with his brother. It was reminiscent of the Citadel his Maiden had been raised in. The flicker of the tides shone like magic against the old quartz, illuminating the building even as it threw the troops around them into shadows, barely discernible from the greater darkness of the sea floor. 

He entered the large room quietly and waited for the elder merman to acknowledge him. He may be of the same military rank but the other male was still his father; and, no matter how complicated their relationship had become over the years, he could not find it in himself to be overly disrespectful of the other male. 

His father looked up from the battlefield layout after a moment. His eyes were cold. "I am disappointed you survived." 

His son scoffed dismissively, settling himself into one of the curved chairs before the desk. He watched as a small manta ray dropped off some spearheads, waited until it was gone to respond. "You are never truly disappointed when Inuyasha or I survive. We are your blood, after all." 

His father glared at him, flashing his fangs with an ire that would have terrified many; but, they both knew that he would never raise a claw or weapon against his own sons. He might send assassins after them, have others beat them but he wouldn't do it himself. 

Sesshoumaru smirked just to piss off his father more. 

"You have dishonored the family, brat. For all your intelligence, you are an idiot of the worst kind." His father's golden eyes were keen with rage as he stared at 

Sesshoumaru and it was in that moment that Sesshoumaru realized the other Commander knew about his foray with the Maiden. This, then, was the reason for the assassination attempt by his shark minions. 

Ignoring the sudden worry he felt for her, remembering how protected the waters of the Western Citadel were, he focused on his father and the old warrior's plotting. The first time their family had become involved with humans, it was only Sesshoumaru's standing in the military which had saved them from a complete banishment from Court. His father was still not considered in high esteem though both of his sons had achieved such status, having worked beyond hard to bring back honor to the Sea King and prove themselves once more. Their father hated them for their rise while he remained subjected to the gilded shadows. 

He was angry and bitter, at turns jealous and proud of what his sons had accomplished. In an attempt to escape from the judgments of the court, his eldest knew he had turned to war; but, instead of helping tame his father’s anger, the wars had increased his ferocity over the years. 

Lady Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother, had died for the sake of his father’s anger and in killing her, his father had finalized the judgments of the Court, his once-brethren. For a time, his father had blamed Inuyasha, refusing to believe it was his murder of the land princess that had harmed his reputation. He suspected that despite having grown to grudgingly accept Inuyasha, his father’s deep-seated hatred of humans had never faded. 

If so, his Maiden was in great danger. His father would kill her to prevent such dishonor on the family name again. 

Sesshoumaru rose with a flick of his tail, eying his angry sire and wishing as he had many times before that his father wasn't such a vicious being. "I am receiving an honor later this evening. If you haven't already received an invitation to attend, I would like to extend one." 

Without waiting for an answer, he swam away. He had some things to take care of at his office and then he needed to get ready for the ceremony. He knew his father wouldn't do anything until after the ceremony. Despite being mostly shunned at Court, his father still craved being a part of it and he would wait until after the ceremony to do anything to Kagome. 

It gave him time to plan around his father's actions. 

Hours later, in a hall made beautiful with the gleaming of jewels and scales, of the denizens of the sea sparkling like stars, Sesshoumaru was smiling at Rin as she handed him a pendant. He barely restrained the look of surprise from flashing across his features upon seeing the shape of the wish- a rose-gold apple brimming with the power of the Sea King, remembering his first taste of the fruit with Kagome. 

He swallowed. Did the Sea King know about the Maiden saving his life? Did he know of his Commander’s feelings for a human? 

More importantly, was this his way of saying he approved? 

Sesshoumaru turned from the beaming young Princess and bowed to the Sea King, catching a strange twinkle in his eyes when he turned to bow to the Court. 

Those closest to him began to clap, his troops calling making some of the globes of the ballroom quiver with their vibrations. 

The Sea King rose behind him and the porter called the attention of the Court. The King clasped his shoulder before speaking, his trident crackling faintly with his power. "Hear! For the great service done to me in saving my heart from the pain of loneliness and grief, I have gifted Commander Sesshoumaru Taisho of the Seventh Regiment with a wish. As he did for me, it is to be used to save his heart. I have complete trust that he will use it well." 

Sesshoumaru’s shoulders relaxed with relief, his heart felt like an iron band had been loosened from it. The silver-haired merman couldn't help the small smile that lifted his mouth, the gratefulness he felt towards his liege lord after his declaration. He had no idea how the Sea King knew of his feelings for the Maiden but he was unbelievably pleased with the gift given to him. 

Before him, seeing the smile, the Court began to cheer once more, the musicians beginning to play upon the King’s gesture. Sesshoumaru shook his head as he turned to bow once more to his King, embarrassed to discover his stripes growing hot when he caught the amusement in his liege’s face. 

Had he been able to see his father in the back of the room, he would have seen the anger that replaced the subtle pride in the other Commander's eyes. Instead, Sesshoumaru sought out his younger brother, handing him the small box and whispering instructions in his ear. With a whine at having to miss the ball but a nod of affirmation, the other merman swam away, throwing a saucy wink over his shoulder at one of the princesses. 

Rolling his eyes, Sesshoumaru turned to Rin who was eying the fading form of his brother curiously. "May I have this dance, Princess?" 

She smiled. "Yes, please!" 

Her sisters were going to be so jealous that she got the first dance with the honored Commander! 

~*~


	11. Chapter 11

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We should not shed tears __

_That is a surrender of the body to the heart ___

__It is only proof ____

___That we are beings that do not know ____ _

___What to do with out hearts. ____ _

___-Tite Kubo_ _ _

____

__

____

XI: 

Kagome waved to Sango as she and the other girls left on horse back for a night on the town, swimming to her small haven away from the castle. She had spent long hours in Sesshoumaru’s nook, reading and thinking, trying to discover the reason the merfolk and humans weren’t allowed to intermingle. 

It was foolish to think she still had a chance with a merman who had returned to his life in the waves; but, she was still curious and had blithely convinced herself that she was researching only to sate her curiosity. 

Pulling back the vines that hid the small outcropping of smooth stone, Kagome gasped at the sight that awaited her. Another merman, one that looked remarkably like Sesshoumaru was floating under the rock, hidden from overt view. 

“Hello,” he said, his voice muffled but clear despite the barrier of the water between them. “I can’t get out of the water. I dry out really quickly.” 

She nodded, absently seating herself and placing her covered books and scrolls out of reach of the lapping waves. “You must be Inuyasha.” 

He nodded. “Sesshoumaru’s little brother- that’s me. He’s sent me to give you something.” 

Her heart fluttered and the answering blush was only too telling. “Really? Well, thank you for taking the trouble to bring it to me.” 

He laughed, his manner much more relaxed and carefree than his elder brother’s. “I’m his second. It’s my job. Here.” He held out a small driftwood box, apparently imbued with some sort of spell to keep the water from the contents. “He says he will come to give you the next one himself.” 

The statement startled her. “He will? I thought it was forbidden for us to meet.” 

Inuyasha chuckled, clearly pleased with something. “Tradition dictates that it’s alright for merfolk to meet the Maidens of the Western Citadel since you lot pay homage to the Sea King. It just hasn’t been done for quite some time because of the last fiasco with the land-dwellers. If you hadn’t been a Maiden, Sesshoumaru may have been thrown in jail despite bringing important information to the Sea King. He still got a lot of grief for staying with you.” 

Kagome blinked, looking down at the small box in her hand, wondering what that meant. “He’s coming to see me again even though it seems to cause some dissension?” 

Inuyasha grinned, roguishly handsome, flicking some water into her face playfully with his tail. “He is, little lady. Be prepared. He’s been a grump since he came back.” 

Kagome laughed and wiped at her face, her heart lightened immeasurably with the news. “I thought you didn’t have a tail? That you were born with legs?” 

Inuyasha stilled, clearly surprised. “He told you about me?” 

She nodded, puzzled by his reaction. “Yes. Why? I told him about my family too.” 

The merman drifted sideways as if in shock before turning back to her and looking at her closely. She bore the scrutiny for a long moment before losing her patience. 

“What?” 

He shook his head, knowing that this girl had just blindly revealed how important she was to his brother. “He doesn’t acknowledge me most of the time. It makes it easier for both of us.” 

“Perhaps, but he still knows you as his brother or he wouldn’t have given you this to bring to me.” 

Inuyasha nodded. “He let me bring this to you because he knows I don’t mind breaking the rules now and again. Technically, I’m not breaking any rules talking to you but there are a lot of nobles at Court who don’t agree with the technicality the Maidens represent.” He paused before looking at her seriously. “Look. Things are testy between Sess and our father, alright. Don’t go past that sea wall of yours and if you feel unsafe at all. Do not go into any amount of water.” 

She simply looked at him, confused and he could see an echo of stubbornness that he hated in everyone but himself. Like himself, she would need a better explanation if she was going to follow his advice. Sighing he swam up to her knees. “Listen. Forgive my language but my father is a vindictive, traitorous asshole. He drowned my mother for ruining his life- when it was his own fault. Stay away from the sea if you feel unsafe. You’re a Maiden. You can always tell when one of us is near.” 

She nodded, eyes wide with fright and he drifted back, satisfied that she had understood his cautions. “I realized that when Sesshoumaru left. It’s like a humming in my blood. You feel the same way.” 

“Good.” He turned and started to swim away, his task completed. “Hey,” he turned back, still swimming, the look in his eyes daring, “the tail can be earned or gifted. All you have to do is impress the Sea King.” 

Kagome raised an eyebrow, watching until the last flip of his tail had disturbed the water far past the Sea Wall. She grabbed her books and made her way back to the castle, scared now of being alone near the water which normally comforted her so. She would have to go to the more public places, like the outer balconies and the beach in order to get her ocean fix everyday. 

Safely ensconced in her room, she finally turned towards the little box, her heart beginning to race. She couldn’t believe he had sent her a gift and the excitement was unbelievable. Grinning, she unlatched the box and lifted the lid to find a scroll and a small velvet case. 

She opened the scroll first, of course. It was a history of the people of the Sea and the Sky, how they honored their gods by staying away from one another unless necessity dictated and how the Maidens of the Sea became the exception to the unspoken rule. There had been many ancient wars between the merfolk and the humans, the armies representing the Sea and the Sky gods. It made for a deep, involved and bloody relationship which unfortunately had created a rift instead of a bridge between the two groups. 

Sighing at the history, long and tumultuous between their people and the range of rules they had so unknowingly broken, she reached for the small velvet bag. Gently she drew back the string and poured out the contents into her hand. Unbelieving, she gaped at the silver-gold chainlink necklace, the pendant catching her attention with its whimsy. 

She couldn’t help but smile, her heart squeezed with emotion- it was a small, carved garnet apple. 

~*~


End file.
